Tile-trench digger



L. H. LARSON.

TILE TRENCH BIGGER. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7. |92o.

Patented Fb. 22,1921. 2 SHEETSSHEET l- INVENTOI? L 01 1,; h. L ARJ ON 4 BY H15 ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

LouIs H. LARSON, or SANTIAGO, MINNESOTA.

TILE-THENCE BIGGER.

Application filed February 7, 1920. SerialNo. 356,987.

T 0 all 10 710m it may concern Be it known that 1 LOUIS H. LAnsoN, a citizen of the United States, resident of Santiago, county of Sherburne, State of lllinnesota have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tile-Trench Diggers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in a machine for digging tile trenches for which Letters Patent were granted to me January 6, 1920, Patent No. 1,327,335.

The object of the invention is to provide improved means for the more efiicient operation of the machine especially when digging trenches in curved or irregular directions or when changing the general direction of the trench.

My invention consists in general in lateral guides for the main operating cables, automatically movable when the excavating buckets are entering or leaving the carriages on which the buckets are traveling and improved means for guiding the buckets into the carriages and for holding the carriages in position while the buckets are entering.

' It further consists in various constructions and combinations all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a vertical elevation of the rear portion of my trench digger having my in vention applied thereto; v i I Fig. 2 is a plan view ofthe carriage and guide ways illustrating how the bucket en: ters the carriage from an angle;

3 is a similar view showing the posi: tion of the sliding cable guide after the bucket hasenteredthe carriage Fig. i is an end elevation of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line 55 of Fig. 3. p

In the drawings 6 represents the rear end of the runners upon. which the machine frame is supported. 7 is a frame member for supporting the bucket controlling means,

not shown, and 8 the trench depth controllingcable V V These parts are well asthe main operating mechanism and converging carriage ways or rails, being no part of this invention are not illustrated or described in the present application. 9 represents the trench and 10 one of the excavating'buckets shown in Fig. 1 just being elevated from the trench 9 and Specification of Letters Patent.

engaging a roller 11 preparatory to entering the bucket carriage 12. The roller 11 is journaled at 13 in a connecting bracket or yoke 14 secured to the runners 6 and is preferably concave conforming partiallyv to the convexbottom of the bucket 10 for the purpose of centering the bucket in the carriage. The inclined rails 15 and 16 upon which the carriage wheels 17 and 18 run, are rigidly secured to the bracket 14 at their lower ends and at their upper ends to the main machine frame not shown in the drawings. The carriage frame is made up of two U shaped cross bars 19 and 20, rigidly secured together by longitudinal bottom bars 21 and side rails 22 and have studs 23 upon which the wheels 17 and 18 are loosely mounted. Bands 26 are fastened to the lower endsof the rails 15 and 16 at 27? and curve upward and forward to form shields 27 over the wheels 17 and 18 and curved stops 28 against which the carriage rests when in the lowest position. The shields 27 are further secured to the rails 15 and 16'by means of brackets 29. to prevent the carriage from tilting at the time the bucket .10 is drawn forward from the trench 9. During this time and when the bucket is entering the carriage it is held fromupward or forward movement by a bell crank lever 30. pivoted at 31 to the carriage frame and having a latch 30"* engaging a stop fastened to the rail 15.

A cable guide for directing the bucket from an angular approach to the carriage consists of a guide frame 34 having guide rollers for the bucket operating cable 35 and automatically moving from end to end of the carriage 12 when the bucket is entering or leaving the carriage. The guide frame 34.- is slidably supported on the incline'd side rails 22 of the carriage by means of its jaws 36-and 37 fitting over the rails 22 railsagainst which the guide frame 34 rests when in the lowest position.

The frame 34 is preferably provided with buffers 43 against which the bucket 10 strikes when entering the carriagepropelled by the cable 35; The continued upward Patented Feb. 22, 1921 movement of the bucket moves it over the roller and into the carriage, sliding it over the carriage bars 21, the carriage being prevented from forward movement by the bell crank latch 30 and the guide frame 34 moving with the bucket until the latch 30 is released by the carriage frame 34 striking the bell crank lever 30 when the carriagp) and rdishown) being provided for emptying the bucket and returning it down the inclined rails 15 and 16, the carriage wheels will pass under the shields 27 until arrested by the curved end portions 28 after which the bucket continuing downward into the trench will permit thelatch 30 to drop in place and the guide frame 3 1 to slide down to the stops 42. In this position it will read ily be seen that the vertical guide rollers 40 and 41 will permit of the bucket be ing pulled into the carriage from the trench at a considerable angle in either direction to the rails 15 and 16 as illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 2 and that by this construction I am enabled to dig trenches which will curvein either direction as the machine is steered to one or the other side.

Various modifications of the details of construction'as shown may be made without departing from the principle and scope of the invention and I do not therefore confine myself strictly to the construction shown.

I claim as my invention: 1. In a trench digger the combination with a frame having an inclined track, a carriage mounted to run on said track a guide frame having guide rollers,said guide frame being arranged to slide upon said carriage, a cable passing between said rollers, an excavating bucket connected to said cable adapted to be drawn into said carriage by said cable and means for automatically sliding said guide frame-upon said carriage when. said bucket is being drawn into said carriage.

In a trench digger the combination with a portable frame havingan inclined track, a carriage mounted to run uponsaid track, an excavating bucket adapted to enter into said carriage when said carriage is a t the lower end of-said track and a.

frame over which said bucket must pass when entering said carriage.

In a trench d'gger the combination with a portable frameghaving an, incline( l track, a'carriage mounted to operate on said track, an excavating bucket adapted to enter into said carriage when said carriage is at the lower end of said track, a roller journaled to said frame over which saidbucket must pass when entering said carriage, the face of said roller being concave to centralize the position of said bucket in said carriage. a g

4. In a trench digger the combination with a portable frame having an inclined track, a carriage mounted to operate upon said track, a stationary protecting shield under which the carriage runs when atthe lower end of said track to prevent tilting movement of said carriage, a stop to prevent downward movement of said carriage and an excavating bucket adapted to enter said carriage from a trench.

5. In a trench digger. the combination with frame having an inclined track, a carriage mounted to run on said track, a guide framehaving guide rollers, said guide frame being arranged slidably upon said lower end of said track, a rollerjournaled in said frame at the lower end of said track,-

an excavating bucket adapted to :work in a trench, a cable connected to said bucketand a roller journaled in saidframe over. which said bucket passes into said carriage propelled by said cable and means for automatically unlocking the carriage for upwardly inclined movement. 1

7. In a trench digger, the combination,

with a frame having'an inclined track, a

carriage mounted to run on said track, a guide frame slidably mounted on said carriage and having guide rollers some of them mounted to revolve on horizontalaxes and others on vertical axes, acable passing between said rollers, and an excavating a 7' bucket connected to said cable.

8. A trench digger comprising a frame, a carriage mountedto slide therein, a roller mounted in said frame and having a concave facepand a bucket arranged to enter said carriage and having an operating-cable, a frame mounted to slide on said car 'riage and having anti-friction rollers to revolve on a vertical axis and between which said bucket cable passes, said anti-friction rollers and :said concave faced roller -ad-apt-- ing said bucket for operating at an angle or in a curve in the trench. V

9. A trench digger comprising a frame, a carriage mounted to slide therein, a roller mounted in said frame and having a concave face and a bucket arranged to enter said carriage and having an operating cable a frame mounted to slide on said carriage and having anti-friction rollers to revolve on vertical axis and between which said bucket cable passes, said anti-friction rollers and said concave faced roller adapting said bucket for operating at an angle or in a curve in a trench, and a lockin device for said carriage in the path of sai sliding frame to be actuated thereby.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 3d day of February, 1920.

LOUIS H. LARsoNQ 

